Spinal fusion

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Spinal fusion is a surgery that fills the space once a disc is removed from your back.

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Orthopedics | About spine surgery | Diagnosis | Treatment | Recovery and rehabilitation

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In a spinal fusion surgery, your doctor will use a block of bone called a bone graft to fill the space left after a disc is removed. The bone graft may be taken from your pelvis or a bone bank.

Bone grafts from a bone bank are given by donors. All grafts are kept under sterile conditions until needed. And all are carefully tested to make sure they're safe.

During surgery, the bone graft may simply be wedged between the bones in the back. Metal plates, screws and rods are also often used to hold the graft in place while it heals. This helps improve the success of the fusion.

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FAQ

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With an anterior (front side of your body) interbody fusion, a bone graft is placed between two vertebrae after a disc is removed. During the healing process, the vertebrae grow together and create a solid piece of bone.

This type of fusion is used to take care of most problems in the neck. Many of these are caused by the natural wearing down of the bones over time.

These problems are often caused by bone spurs (when a damaged piece of bone sticks out) or a herniated disc, which happens when a disc in the back slips out of place.

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With a bone graft, larger pieces of bone are used to fill a gap between two bones. Because bone is rigid, it will hold the bones apart while the body grows to the ends of the graft.

Over time, the entire piece of bone that was grafted will be "remodeled" and replaced by the body with new bone. The time it takes to fuse depends on the size of the piece of bone that was used. Sometimes this process happens over years.

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Two types of bone are used in bone graft surgeries:
- Autograft is a bone taken from your own body
- Allograft is a bone donated from a bone bank
Autograft is the most common approach. Sometimes your doctor may mix allograft with autograft.

Autograft offers:
- Bone that comes from your body
- Bone that may grow more quickly
- Surgery that may be shorter, which can help lessen pain
Allograft offers:
- Bone that’s donated from a tissue bank
- Bone that may not grow as well or as quickly
- Bone-growing protein that can be added to help growth
- More bone graft than your body may be able to supply
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Allograft can come from many types of bones and in many different forms. Allograft is usually removed from organ donors and placed in bone banks. It doesn't have any living cells. It has fewer chemicals to help new bone growth.

Bone banks test allograft bones for diseases, including hepatitis and AIDS, just like a blood bank. There is a very little chance of an allograft carrying disease.

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